Part 13 (1/2)

”Fine. ”

I do not know much about fighting. When the Hlutr fight, we do it with song and the slow, inexorable power of genetics. Doku fights in the animal style, with movement and speed. For her size and features, she is still an adult, and trained; experience succeeds where strength and numbers might fail. Very quickly she has defeated the bullies and they flee, along with a large portion of the crowd.

Panting, Doku opens the door. The boy creeps hesitantly out, meets Doku's eves, and smiles.

”What's your name?” she asks in a gentle voice.

”R-R-R-Robbie. ”

Doku extends a hand to him. ”Come on, Robbie. You can't stay here. Let's see if we can't get you someplace safe.”

The children of the Lower City make their homes wherever they can find a dry and secluded spot. As slow Karphos dusk settles. Doku and I follow Robbie to a makes.h.i.+ft tent on the roof of a small building near the slaughterhouse. Here we crouch together, sharing Doku's compressed rations and a few handfuls of nuts and fruit that Robbie had hidden in his pockets. I eat, wondering if Human food is nutritious to Shalit's folk.

Robbie is quickly confused and it is difficult for him to speak. Still, he attempts to answer our questions.

First, where are we?

”The m-m-m-mountain is Corella. This,” he waves unsteadily, indicating the buildings and caves, ”is the L-l-lower City.” He frowns, concentrating; I hear discord in his mental song, and I do what I can to strengthen his inner melodies. He points upslope. ”Middle City. Then Upper. Walls around them. Only special k-k-k-kids can go there. The Peak is at the t-t-t-top. s.h.i.+ps take off and l-l-l-land there.” He scans the sky, then points. A bright star is visible at zenith through a break in the clouds. ”Heaven. Mister Avidore lives in Heaven. Good kids go there.”

”What happens to bad kids?”

Robbie shakes his head. ”The hunt. The Hole. W-w-worse places.”

”How do we get to Heaven, Robbie?”

The child shrugs and turns his attention to his food.

I have attuned my own song to Robbie's, and he does not seem surprised when I speak. ”Robbie, how did you come here?”

”M-m-m-my friend brought me. In a big sp-sp-sp-s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+p. I don't remember his name. He told me all about Mister Avidore. He told me that I would he happy here.”

”Are you happy, Robbie?”

He considers the question, while the song of his mind is alive with raucous discord-images of casual cruelties intertwined, some from his past life and some from this place. Then he nods. ”I'm happy. It's good to he happy.”

A little wistfully, he adds, ”Some of the kids say that there are happier places in the jungle, far away from here. I've never been in the jungle. M-m-m-maybe someday I'll got there to see.”

”Do you want to go home?”

Robbie quivers with fear. ”They were b-b-bad to me there. I don't want to go hack.” He lies back on the slate roof. ”I like it here.”

”Go to sleep. Robbie.” I have worked with Humans like Robbie before, and it is simplicity itself to blend my song with his Inner Voice, to subtly persuade him to drop into a temporary, healing sleep.

Staring at the mountain looming above us. Doku shakes her head. ”All right, what next?”

”We have found the children.”

”I suppose so.” She sighs. ”I couldn't bring much equipment along, but I have one implant: an ultrawave set that should he able to reach civilization. But without knowing what planet we're on. I can't tell anyone how to find us. Can the Hlutr help?”

”You forget that I am on Escen as well as here. I can give information to Sten Koleno. Or I can summon a Galactic Rider to fetch us. These things I will not do until our mission is complete.”

”Well, can't your people help us find Fenelia?”

”My friend, this is Karphos. There are no Hlutr here.”

”Karphos? I thought that was a myth.”

”It is too real.”

”No Hlutr?” She s.h.i.+vers, and I understand her distaste. The lower orders of life are accustomed to the presence of my folk on all the Scattered Worlds; it disturbs them to be without us. In honesty, it disturbs me as well. ”Can you find Fenelia?”

I listen deeply to the song of the planet, to the voices of ten thousand sleeping Little Ones. ”She is here. I do not know where.”

”Let's find her, then get off this rock and go home.”

”No, Doku.”

”What?”

”Finding Fenelia is not our only task here.”

”What do you mean?”

”Someone called Avidore has stolen Human children, brought them here at great expense and risk. I must know why. The Hlutr must know why.” I can no longer deny it to Doku or to myself my inquiries have drawn the attention of my Elders beyond the stars, and there is growing Hlutr concern with this matter. As vet, the Elders merely listen- but they are interested.

”This place makes me sick. Once we get home, the Hegemony Navy can come back and settle accounts.”

”Will they? According to your records. children have been coming here for nearly two of your decades. Why have the Humans in authority done nothing in all that time?”

She does not reply, for she knows that there is no answer. Karphos, once a world of death, is now a living planet of mystery; surely Doku is not the only Human ever to care?

”What is this bright star that Robbie calls 'Heaven'?” I ask.

”It must be a settlement or station in synchronous...o...b..t. He said Avidore lives there.”

”I think we must go to Heaven, my friend. Answers may await us there.”

”Did Robbie say that s.h.i.+ps take off and land on the peak?” She leans back, regarding the mountainside. ”Any idea how we're supposed to get there?”

”Robbie may know. I will awaken him.”

Our young comrade is ready with his answer. ”To get to the P-P-P-Peak we have to get past the walls. It w-w-won't be easy.” He frowns, and his will sings with the effort of disciplining recalcitrant thoughts. ”I know a way through the f-f-f-first wall. There's a nice lady in the Middle City who m-m-might help us.”

”Can you take us there?”

He nods, but his eyes are wild and his body tense.

I touch him with Shalit's gentle hands, the hands of a healer and a musician. ”Do not he afraid, Robbie. The Hlutr are with you, and we will not allow you to come to harm.” So the Universal Song repeats its constant refrain, as once again a Hlut vows to cherish and protect a Little One.